


Lux et Veritas

by allusions



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: 2park if you squint, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Light Angst, M/M, Multiverses, minor!nielnyeon and minor!onghwan but this is just a little bit i promise lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 04:46:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16716826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allusions/pseuds/allusions
Summary: In an infinite number of universes, Seongwoo drifts to find Daniel.





	Lux et Veritas

**Author's Note:**

> unbetaed and unedited, you have been warned.  
> after one million years, i finally did something.

i.

The morning felt awfully warm even though a thick fog could be seen looming around Seoul, blanketing the city streets with white smog and carefully filtering the light emanating from the cars that roam its asphalt roads.

Seongwoo, him in the present universe, rouses himself to a daze, waking up from the most heart-wrenching dream that seems to mimic a version of reality itself – him not being able to meet a certain someone truly felt horrendous.

Seongwoo doesn’t remember when and where he started drifting, how he got this mysterious ability or if someone else has the same quirk as him. He is a _drifter_ , or at least that’s what he calls himself, because it sounds cool. Nothing more and nothing less.

As the darkness still reigns the confined space, Seongwoo closes his eyes again.

 

ii.

The next hour, he jolts up at the sudden ringing of the alarm clock, loud and audible enough to fill his ears with nothing but incomprehensible noise. The man raises an arm and proceeds to slam the alarm shut before finally getting a hold of himself.

For Seongwoo, this has been his home for the past three hundred or so days. A quaint universe if you’d ask him; beds are cozy, penthouse living, the warm velvety duvet seems to have a gentle touch on his skin whenever he drapes himself in it. The drifter is literally living the high life and that’s why he stays, he doesn’t know when this happiness is going to last but for now, he’s okay. Seongwoo is totally fine.

The Seongwoo in this universe seems to be a very successful man, a rich CEO owning what seems to be a Fortune 500 company specializing in the business sector. Seongwoo, the _businessman_ , is smart and pretty much of a playboy if he would comment.

Another part of Seongwoo’s ability is that he is able to assimilate in every version of himself in the vast expanse of the universes. He can see through their memories, work his way off of them so that the people surrounding the ‘Seongwoo’ in a certain universe doesn’t notice a slightest bit of change.

Seongwoo feels like this is a game and he’s in control.

He’s fully aware.

_Was he?_

 

iii.

A soft knock emerges at the door as Seongwoo struggles to fix his suit and tie; the tie barely hanging on his neck and the suit is wrinkled way worse than he expected it to be. So much for being a heavy sleeper of a CEO, he muses.

“Sir, may I be permitted to enter your room?” Another soft knock manifests at the other side of the door. The voice seems familiar – the fleeting feeling in his chest feels awfully odd, it as if he had known that voice from long ago.

“You may enter,” he replies as he still struggles to lock the belt in his waist, fiddling with the buckle.

Sometimes he wonders if the staff haven’t noticed any changes yet. He may have the power to assimilate but Seongwoo (him, the drifter) always chooses not to mimic the versions of himself.

The man believes these are different versions of alternate realities that do not belong to him. Therefore, he thinks it’s befitting to leave his marks in the universe as Seongwoo the _drifter_ , and not someone else.

“I’m so sorry to be late at my first day of work,” a large man enters with an apologetic smile that bears an uncanny resemblance to someone the older had known ages ago.

“Kang Daniel…” Seongwoo freezes agape, eyes wide open at the sudden realization.

He remembers everything. He wasn’t drifting just to temporize around the multiverses. Seongwoo was here for a purpose – to find the Daniel that loved him for who he is, the Daniel that gave him life and provided solace when he was weary. The same Daniel that disappeared along with millions when a secret project by the government screwed up and destroyed half of what was once Seoul.

He knew Daniel didn’t die in the catastrophe. He doesn’t have any concrete explanation but his heart says so. That’s enough reason for him to keep finding, keep pushing to the limits even if he sacrifices himself in the end.

He has to find him.

 

iv.

“You know me? Did Jisung-hyung tell you that i was the new butler, sir?” Daniel chuckles gleefully, eyes filled with mirth as he interacted more and more with his new employer.

“Y-you… don’t remember me?” he stutters. Seongwoo can feel the tears forming in his eyes because he wasn’t expecting a version of Daniel would be this closely related to the version of himself in this specific universe.

“Huh? Remember what, Sir?” Daniel is completely clueless as the other drops in his knees, crying in frustration. He’s desperate, he needs Daniel to remember who he is.

“I’m Seongwoo, the one who used to play with you near the borderlines? We would prank the guards just to annoy them and—”

“Sir, you’re being very weird right now. This is the first time I’ve ever met you.”

Seongwoo goes quiet, still whimpering silently in front of Daniel. He’s so near yet _so so_ far, Daniel doesn’t remember a thing. Well, he has no merit either because the Daniel in this universe isn’t the one in Seongwoo’s, after all.

It is him.

At the same time, it wasn’t him.

_For the first time in 300 days, Seongwoo drifts that night._

 

v.

Seongwoo wakes up once again, the tears already dried up and the pent-up anxiety and stress had been pretty much relieved in the meantime. He forces one eye open and scans the surroundings—all the man could see are the faint silhouette of the large buildings carefully hidden beneath the billowing curtains against the sunlight scattering across the room, the light being scanty but unforgiving.

He notices that the room is very large, much like the penthouse suite he owned in the last universe he entered. There are intricate designs adorning the edges of the room similar to what you would see in a palace. The man also notices the large crystal chandelier looming above him.

Suddenly, Seongwoo’s mind goes blank as he stared into nothingness, the sudden burst of memories flood his mind – memories about him, but aren’t his to begin with.

No _fucking_ way.

The Seongwoo that inhabits this universe is a _prince_ , an actual legit royalty, the drifter can’t even believe it himself but deep inside, he knew he’d be one. If he were to be honest, his face alone could rule an entire empire or even launch a thousand ships, cliché as it may seem but that’s his usual pompous self doing the talking and not him.

Not that he ever wanted to be one. but then again, here he is, being one of the most powerful men in this specific universe, the crown of Korea set to be his in a few days.

He goes out of his bed, both feet feeling the soft wool carpeted across the vast royal chamber. Slowly and gently, he walks to the window, wanting to see a glimpse of the palace grounds and maybe, _just maybe_ , he could spot some familiar faces standing amongst the beautiful lush greeneries that decorate the entire palazzo.

What the male saw past the french windows completely took his breath away, meeting way beyond his expectations. He had never seen a universe this mystical, so interesting and so unique in its ways. The palace is floating in the middle of a hypermodern city, bits and pieces of Neoclassical architecture contrasting heavily to the concrete jungle that seem to spread out to the whole vicinity.

 

vi.

Much to his incredulity, Seongwoo notices something sinister brewing in the clouds. A battalion of flying ships, military grade he supposes due to the fact that it looks metallic and resembles a large hawk, the parting of its beak containing several missile systems. This isn’t good. He can feel his stomach forming into a knot and the cold sweat dripping in his temples is enough to make his brain go haywire for a moment.

The ships open fire, one missile heading towards the palace and the others scattered across the capital. He’s scared to death but the servants tending downstairs are awfully calm and the people situated inside the tall buildings haven’t even batted an eye upon at the atrocity done.

 _Why the hell are they awfully calm when they’re about to die_? He screams in his head.

Then, he sees something equally interesting and frightening at the same time; when the missiles seem to get nearer the city airspace, a crystal-like wall materializes out of thin air and deflects the missiles, detonating it in the process.

So that explains why the people did not even pay attention to such _small_ things, they were invincible and it was a measly matter to them.

“The troublemakers are at it again, your highness,” someone sighs from behind causing Seongwoo to gasp in terror.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost? Did you have a good sleep?” The man asks again as he tends to Seongwoo’s bed, carefully arranging the pillows and spreading the duvet, making sure its sides are tucked in carefully.

“Oh, it’s just you… Jaehwan?” He’s not sure but that’s what he gleams in the memories.

“Yes, tis’ I, your highness.” Jaehwan chuckles and looks beyond the window.

“How long will they keep this up, they do know that Seoul is impenetrable as long as the royal family is alive.” Jaehwan, his personal assistant, muses. Seongwoo could sense the worry in his voice and wonders if everything is fine.

“Has it been always like this?” Seongwoo inquires, voice gruff probably from yesterday’s drinking, “I mean the whole missile thing going on.”

Jaehwan throws him the most inexplicable look and carefully examines his eyes. Seongwoo takes a step back, unaware that he has pinned himself on the cold marbled wall. He mustn’t act like this. He needs to ask questions carefully and try to blend in as much as possible. Although, Seongwoo has the ability to assimilate, it is only through memories he can access. The ability itself has its own limitations.

“I guess yesterday’s wine was indeed strong, it’s the finest we have in the country so I can’t blame you.” Jaehwan hums and Seongwoo lets out another sigh of relief. “Yes, Prince Seongwoo, our country has been at war with the Eastern Empire for years. They want what we have.”

“What do we have?”

“They want power. You see, our kingdom is the only one blessed with magic,” Jaehwan opens his wardrobe, carefully picking out an indigo formal wear and laying it on the bed along with other accessories. “Mainly sourced from the crystal that is in your family’s possession, your highness.”

“The entire kingdom is safe then, that’s good.”

“No, your highness. The barrier can only protect Seoul and some of its outlying areas. Everything beyond the city have already been destroyed by those monsters.”

Seongwoo can hear Jaehwan stifling a sob as the prince unknowingly struck a chord. He doesn’t have anything in his memory that would answer as to why the young assistant reacted this way.

He has got to ask, not because he wants to pry. He needs to ask because the crown is his in a few days and maybe he could do something about it.

It’s not a drifter’s job to meddle with business involving any of the universes but he’s Seongwoo, after all. They might be different Seongwoos but they share the same flesh and blood.

“Jaehwan, why do you feel sad when you talk about the war?” He asks softly, trying not to sound impertinent.

There is a pregnant pause before Jaehwan begins to talk.

“I had a friend once who lived in Seoul. They went to a school trip in Gyeongju,” Jaehwan takes a deep breath and wipes his tears. “But then a fallout happened and destroyed the whole city in a flash. H-he.. w-was gone, just like that.”

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Seongwoo could feel his heart wrenching at Jaehwan’s story. He can feel that the man was more than a friend, his heart knows because it feels the same. He felt the exact same towards someone.

“Don’t be, your highness. It’s my pleasure to have told you such a story. I hope it helps you in the incoming ascension.” Jaehwan lets out the sweetest albeit painful smile.

Seongwoo definitely did not sign up for this.

Truth to be told, Seongwoo is scared. But he stays in this universe, he wanted to do something rather than drift again into some weird dimension and screw everything up. He wanted to leave a mark for once because all he had done this time was to run, and do nothing but escape.

The male is wearing a modern version of a _hanbok_. He supposes royalty like him wear these since the servants are wearing nothing but suit and ties, all black and dainty in its embroidered insignia of the royal seal.

“Your highness, the Prince of Busan is here to ask your hand in marriage. Are you ready?” Seongwoo is shocked at the sudden pronouncement but he doesn’t have a choice. whoever this person may be, he has to face him.

Seongwoo sees his golden crown sitting on top of the iridescent granite, he picks it up carefully and wears it, facing the mirror.

“I’m ready, Jaehwan-ssi.”

 

vii.

Earlier, he requested that the prince and him meet each other alone in the gardens. Just to make sure no one finds out that Prince Seongwoo’s royal demeanor might’ve been tainted by the drifter if he were to screw up by accident.

However, he immediately regrets his decision when he sees the same broad chest and smooth platinum locks, ever shining so brightly in the scorching sun, heading toward his direction.

“Good afternoon, your highness. I’m Daniel, Prince of Busan,” the man with ashen hair places a kiss on his hand and looks at him in the eyes.

“Good afternoon, Prince Daniel. Lovely day isn’t it?” The drifter tries to sound as posh as he can, hoping that Daniel wouldn’t notice the change. Again, it seems that this isn’t the Daniel he’s trying to find, he knows because he can tell just by looking at someone’s eyes.

He doesn’t know how or why but he can, and he’s sure of it.

“A befitting day for an engagement,” Daniel muses as he grasps Seongwoo’s delicate hands, the older male startled at the sudden contact. He then kneels on one leg and pulls out a diamond ring.

“Prince Seongwoo, may I ask your hand in marriage?”

“Of course, Prince Daniel. The pleasure is mine,” he smiles, picking up the glistening diamond ring and inserting it on his ring finger.

For the first time in forever, Seongwoo feels weird. Though he doesn’t feel the sudden rush of anxiety or the unbearable heartache. What he feels is completely foreign–he’s entirely confused of this new sensation but one thing’s for sure, Seongwoo wasn’t in love.

Instead of love, all Seongwoo could feel was the immense pity as he looks at the fading glint behind Daniel’s miserable eyes.

This isn’t the Daniel he’s looking for but the drifter decides to play the game of thrones. After all, there’s a whole story waiting to unfold beneath his pleading eyes.

And hopefully, he can settle everyone before leaving again.

No more running away this time.

 

viii.

As the days pass quickly and the grand wedding just right around the corner, Seongwoo notices Daniel gradually feeling restless, his eyes becoming more dead and the younger man growing colder towards his majesty’s antics.

There are only two days left until the wedding and Seongwoo definitely needs to get to the bottom of this problem, so he asks Jaehwan to arrange tea for the two of them privately where no one can hear a single thing - just like when Daniel asked his hand in marriage.

Did he do this out of pressure or out of guilt? Seongwoo wants to know.

 

ix.

The soothing aromatics of the beautiful flowers gently wafted around the palace’s pavilion, adorned with white roses and rare pink poinsettias, the place is truly an exquisite sight only for the royals to see and experience.

Seongwoo drinks the chamomile tea with faux finesse, holding the golden handle of the teacup gently and relishing the scent before taking a sip of the amber liquid.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” he looks at Daniel in front of him, hands sweating and shaking. “But I need you to be honest,” he holds the prince’s trembling hands and touches it gently as sign of reassurance that it’s okay, Seongwoo will be fine no matter what he says.

“About w-what?” Daniel answers nervously.

“Niel-ah, do you really love me?”

It’s a very simple question but it rings loudly inside Daniel’s mind. He imagines the repercussions if anyone were to notice the façade he’s been trying to project; a mighty young prince ready to put everything aside for the best interests of his kingdom when he’s just a coward trying to suppress the pain and self-hatred every time he looks at Seongwoo’s sincere smiles and hears the beautiful words coming out of his mouth.

He’s hurting because he’s guilty, he’s hurting because he doesn’t love Seongwoo the way the other seems to be completely enamoured of him. The prince doesn’t deserve to be deceived and Daniel can’t keep up the act anymore.

“I’m sorry, your majesty but I don’t,” Daniel breaks down in front Seongwoo.

Truth to be told, Daniel had loved once – still loves _him_ deeply up to this day but the times weren’t very kind to them. Busan’s defenses against the East were weakening and the only thing that will save the kingdom from its demise are either the union of the two heirs or a treatise, but no one really preferred the latter so Daniel had to make a compromise, shamelessly asking the Prince of Korea’s hand in marriage.

“It’s okay,” Seongwoo says wholeheartedly with the sweetest smile. “Don’t worry, i can call off this wedding anytime but first—” he takes a deep breath. “Why did you do it?”

Daniel confesses everything. This time, it’s honest and sincere, no more pretending and no half-truths. He spills all of it to the Prince of Seoul: the burden of protecting his subjects, forgetting the person whom he had loved for so long (Seongwoo learned that his name was Minhyun) and the immense guilt that consumed him when he lied to Seongwoo.

He wails in front of him like a small child and Seongwoo couldn’t do nothing but pat his back and assure everything will be fine.

“Thank you for being honest with me,” Seongwoo says, voice gentle and clear like the billowing wind surrounding the two.

“Also, I think it’s time for me to tell the truth.”

 

x.

“You’re a what?!” Daniel gasps, voice audible enough to be heard in the whole courtyard.

“A drifter,” Seongwoo says assertively. “I travel through various alternate realities and I happened to stumble upon this amazing yet scary universe.”

In that finite moment, Seongwoo bares it all and explains everything in detail – his observations about the complexities of the multiverses, how one could actually lose control if one’s mind is weak, and just how different all of the worlds he had traversed in the past. Even if this Daniel is a stranger, Seongwoo still feels a sense of familiarity in him. He’s comfortable with him, always and forever, be it in a different universe.

“I still can’t wrap my head around the thought–” Daniel scratches the back of his head. “But how do you do it? And why do you do it?”

“I honestly don’t know—I mean i just woke up one day knowing I could do it,” it’s weird yet endearing how Daniel notices a significant change in Seongwoo’s demeanor, the regal prince vibe seemingly fading within the drifter’s thick outlandish accent. “Why I do it? It’s because i’m searching for someone, someone who looks a lot like you, Niel-ah.”

“Like me?” Asks Daniel, tilting his head like a curious puppy.

“Yes, Niel-ah.” Seongwoo caresses Daniel’s hand again. No matter how much he wants to let go of Daniel this time, he still can’t. Well, not yet. “But, _technically speaking_ , he’s not you, I’m searching for the Daniel in my universe. I know he’s hiding in this vast expanse,” the prince gestures his hands towards the blue horizon, “I can feel it in my heart. I just do.”

“Seongwoo, well, technically not the prince, right?” Daniel’s smile seems to be back and the drifter feels relieved to see him happy. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find him, thank you for understanding.”

 

xi.

As the two continue to chat in the pavilion, boisterous laughter and small giggles spilling in the silence that blanketed the area; a man in the same raven suit approaches them, bows down and hands in a piece of paper.

“I’ve prepared the treatise, your majesty,” the familiar man looks at Seongwoo and smiles slightly, carefully walking two step back away from the royals. “Thank you, Jaehwan.”

The look on Daniel’s face is enough to make Seongwoo so happy, it’s almost as if he was the Daniel he knew back in his own timeline.

“Are you really doing this for me?” Daniel is absolutely happy, the other prince noticing the glint on his eyes seem to have returned to its original state. “Of course,” Seongwoo muses, placing one hand in his heart. “Not just me though, he wanted to give it to you too. He’s listening too.”

Seongwoo signs the treatise and Daniel gets the gist.

“Would you please excuse us for a moment, Jaehwan?” Seongwoo stands up, Daniel following suit as they walk along the courtyard, the drifter feeling the wind blowing gently against his skin, the birds chirping as they nestle quietly within the trees surrounding them. He savors every minute, every single second that passes by and glances the beautiful metropolis beneath his feet.

“I’ve already meddled far too much,” he looks at Daniel’s beautiful face, memorizing every detail, outline and expression he makes because he’s not sure when and where will they meet again nor what kind of circumstances will they face in the next universes. He’s not sure – beyond dubious to what lies ahead in the vast expanse but he’s hopeful, and hope goes a long way in times of despair. Hope is what keeps Seongwoo pushing forward.

“I think it’s time for me to go, Niel-ah,” Seongwoo announces in the littlest decibels of his voice, mustering one last smile to offer for the Prince of Busan. “My only condition for the treatise is that–” he points at himself once again. “you help him realize his feelings for Jaehwan. I think the prince likes him.” The drifter says, letting out a small laugh.

He knows he shouldn’t have looked up on the prince’s memories just like that, but this is a special case. If he can’t make himself happy in his own universe, he might as well help the other versions of himself. After all, Seongwoo finally understands that they might be living different lives but they’re all of the same flesh and blood.

They are all him. They are Seongwoo.

“Okay, I get it,” Daniel chuckles once again and Seongwoo revels in the beautiful moment – that one final moment where the background noise flats out into a static silence and his vision becomes a blur.

He has hope and he’s in control.

_For the second time in 14 days, Seongwoo drifts far ahead._

 

xii.

The universes Seongwoo had traversed so far were mostly boring and aimless, not even a silhouette of the man he had longed for in sight. He had previously travelled to a universe where he was a master of the mystic arts and was part of an alliance of superheroes fighting an evil villain hell bent on destroying half of the universe. It required too much action for his liking so he slips into another one.

In another universe, Seongwoo was a cat hybrid who had kind masters that cared for him. Although he really did enjoy being petted upon, it was just too inexplicably weird for him so the drifter shifts away onto the next one.

It was this repetitive and constant cycle of drifting that made Seongwoo feel so frustrated. All the universes he travelled so far have had no signs of Daniel whatsoever – most of them are lacklustre versions of his ordinary life only with some slight deviations: like the different sets of friends he seem to have, different schools and even the demeanours he possess.

The multiverses truly are a complex realm even if he’d already been tinkering with it for a very long time.

He is desperate. Every time he shifts, he slowly loses hope – slowly loses control of himself. He had already noticed from the past journeys that he tends to slip into character already, his control growing weaker every time he enters a new multiverse.

Seongwoo is scared. He doesn’t want to lose control, not now when he can feel the invisible connection between him and Daniel growing stronger.

He mustn't forget like the first time. He will never forget.

_And so, he drifts._

_And hopes for the last time._

 

xii.

Seongwoo closes his eyes – feels the universe fall into its invisible knees and rises back again for the nth time. However, this time, the whole area feels so noisy and the lights seem to blind his eyes even if his eyelids are shut tight. He’s unsure of what to expect, the slight pang of anxiety crippling slowly in his system, overriding the flow of his coherency.

But then a familiar voice calls out to him.

“Hyung,” the familiar voice says, barely a whisper. “The 5th place is being announced. Wake up, hyung.”

Seongwoo opens his eyes, the harsh rays of the spotlight blinding both of his irises. He squints forcibly and sees a crowd of people gathering in front of them, holding a plethora of banners with names printed on it.

He sees his name ‘ _Ong Seongwoo_ ’.

That’s right, he’s Ong Seongwoo, an idol trainee in this universe who was desperate to debut and that is what led him to join this survival show.

And Daniel is in the show, too.

“Seongwoo-hyung,” Daniel pats his back, breaking his trance for a moment. “Are you okay? You seem to be very distracted.”

“I’m fine, Daniel,” he croaks, and lets out an awkward laugh. “It’s just the pressure, I guess?”

“Don’t worry, hyung,” Daniel assures him, donning a wide grin and Seongwoo immediately feels at ease, as if he had known him already for a long time. “I’m sure we’ll do great – you will do great.”

In that very moment, Seongwoo looks at Daniel’s eyes and realizes something.

“And the 5th member to debut garnering 984,756 votes,” the host takes a deep breath followed by some intense music that makes Seongwoo’s ears ring loudly. “Ong Seongwoo, congratulations!”

Seongwoo freezes in sight. He won? He actually won something? He doesn’t know what to feel knowing it’s been barely minutes since he’s drifted in this universe. The moment he tries to utter something, he feels two familiar limbs wrapping him into a warm hug. It was Daniel, the younger hugged him. His eyes were full of glee and his smile definitely struck something inside Seongwoo’s slightly bewildered heart.

The same man leans closer to his ears, “It’s me, hyung. We’ve finally met each other.”

That’s when Seongwoo tears start to pour in, hastily enveloping the younger into an equally tight hug. The other contestants surrounding them were dense enough to peg it as some sort of bromance caused by the overflow of emotions. After all, Seongwoo had won the arduous show.

What they don’t know is Seongwoo had definitely won, not just the show but against the odds that governed the multiverses. In the infinite fabric of space-time, he had found Daniel. He really did find the same man. His feelings and intuition did not fail him this time but he can’t believe for a moment that Daniel had found him instead of him finding the man.

The invisible weight that burdened his mind and heart had suddenly diffused into nothingness. He’s awfully at peace, something he had never felt for a very long time.

The show ended faster than what Seongwoo had expected. Daniel became the center and Seongwoo could’ve never been prouder towards the latter. This universe felt far more normal than what Seongwoo had been through and he’s honestly relieved that he no longer has to fend for himself just to survive. He can be the Seongwoo the idol trainee, or simply him, the drifter of the multiverses, without the fear of being exposed by the people surrounding him.

“Congratulations, Niel-ah,” the gesture is oddly endearing and familiar. God knows how long he’s craved for the younger’s warmth and solace. “God, I missed you so much.” It almost comes out as a cry. He stifles out a sob not to gain attention towards the crowd forming backstage.

“I missed you too, hyung,” he rubs circles on Seongwoo’s back, hoping to comfort the elder. “I honestly didn’t know what to do when I first came here but I survived,” he moves his arms and points at his chest. “He helped me.”

“Thank you,” he whispers, hoping that the Daniel in this universe hears him.

 

xiii.

The first few days of being a nearly-debuting idol was taxing to say the least, the amount of filming and interviews has nearly exhausted the drifter’s mind into thinking about what this Seongwoo would typically say or what the fans would expect him to do.

It’s almost as if he’s back again in the first universe where he was a CEO. Instead of the people’s eyes peering at him, Seongwoo has to face the lenses of the huge cameras that were constantly aimed at his direction on a daily occurence.

It’s scary, he thinks, to forcefully castrate yourself in an image that the public wants to see and one slip-up would cost you your entire career - a career that he didn’t even build in the first place.

Though, he keeps his sentiments to himself, not that he has a choice anyways. He’s sure idol-Seongwoo was well aware of everything before joining the competition. The drifter’s basically stealing his body from his control so he has no right to complain whatsoever.

Besides, Daniel is currently huddled comfortably next to him, wrapping himself in a cocoon and snoring like a bear as the manager drives them off to a nearby forest park for a quick break before going back to reality again. Everything is still vivid to Seongwoo: the same gray uniforms that they wore in the show, Daniel’s faded pink hair that is now colored into a darker chestnut hue, and the exact same brown eyes that had evoked a sense of familiarity deep within his heart.

It still feels like a dream.

Except that it’s not.

Except that he’s here – two drifters in the same proximity, sharing the same bated breaths against the frosty wind of autumn. The peace and tranquility often contrasts the horror that they experienced in their own universe. It was the perfect time to talk about everything; the exact time to recollect the past, put up together the bits and pieces even if it opens up old wounds.

Because for the second time in Seongwoo’s life, he felt brave. He feels the need to go back and face his fears.

No more running away this time, too.

 

xiv.

“So how did you survive?” Seongwoo asks out of the blue as Daniel tried to start the fire outside their wooden cabin, causing the younger to flinch at the sudden question.

“Seongwoo-hyung, always the serious man that he is,” he chuckles, hovering himself over the elder and sitting next to him. “I was part of the experiment, Seongwoo-hyung.”

The amount of shock that Seongwoo expressed is barely comprehensible. Just how long has Daniel been keeping this from him? Surely, he wasn’t family or anything but they had something between them. Mundane or not, they were supposed to tell everything to each other. They were in love with each other for _fuck’s_ sake.

Angry, he turns his gaze away from Daniel’s eyes. “Wow, I’ve never felt more betrayed, Niel-ah. I trusted you.” How could Daniel even cooperate with those monsters? The whole thought was just plain ridiculous.

Daniel noticing that the elder isn’t accepting it well, he holds his hands and begins to caress it softly. The man had practically no choice when it had happened, “First of all, those guys kidnapped me, hyung. I had no other choice but to submit to their stupid experiment.” Seongwoo glances back again, now the angry expression has simmered into something that’s less hostile.

“They had all those needles and serums stuck in my body like I was an animal, hyung.” Daniel continues, small beads of tears forming in his eyes. “It- it was just horrible, y’know.”

Seongwoo reaches forward to cup Daniel’s cheeks, the fleeting feeling of warmth radiating from his flesh, “I’m sorry that you had to go through that, Niel-ah.” the elder hugs him. “And i’m so sorry for judging you hastily. You know me, I lost everything because of them. You’re all that i have.”

“And I’m never going away this time, hyung,” Daniel lounges at Seongwoo, the two of them practically falling on the surface with the blanket protecting them from cold ground.

Seongwoo definitely didn’t prepare but Daniel, being the hasty man that he is, presses his lips against the elder’s thinner ones. It had been such a long time that Seongwoo had felt the same moment, the way their tongues move as if on cue.

It was concomitant - two tongues moving naturally into a rhythm that only their hearts could hear. Seongwoo melts into the kiss, dives in hungrily into the comforting warmth that Daniel’s large body provides. The man had never felt so alive except for now.

“Wait,” Seongwoo breaks the kiss with a bewildered expression, “So, how did you survive the explosion? I mean half of Seoul got wiped out in that fucking experiment-”

“Hyung, you are so anticlimactic.”

“Sorry, I got carried away.”

Daniel scoffs and settles himself on the ground. The two of them are sitting nearer by the fireplace, the stars and the flickering flame were the only source of light in the middle of the wilderness.

“To satiate your curiosity,” the younger male starts again. “You do realize once you drift into the multiverse, your body becomes practically invisible and untouchable, no?”

“I actually never knew about that,” Seongwoo gasps, pondering the thought. “Y’know, one day, I just suddenly drifted away from our universe and that’s it. Had no idea whatsoever.”

“Not just that, hyung. You can’t die once you’re inside the fabric,” this time Daniel holds his hands. “And we can go home. All of who had drifted can go home.”

“All of us?”

“Yes, hyung. We’re not alone. A lot of people are doing this, and they’re not from our universe either. They’re way more special and powerful because they guard the universes. They protect it from people who want to abuse this power, like what our government is planning to do.”

“That’s so _fucking_ cool,” Seongwoo’s eyes lights up, his hand intertwining Daniel’s larger ones. Hope swells inside his heart, maybe they do have the strength to fight off evil? Just this once, maybe - _just, maybe_ \- he can be there to save them all from this mess?

“Seongwoo-hyung,” Daniel once again looks at his eyes with the same fondness the older has been familiar of for a very long time. “You do know we have to go back sooner or later, right?”

“I know,” his eyes are glowing against the stars and the gentle moonlight glowing above them makes the orbs so bright and clear. “I think we should go back now.”

Daniel sees Seongwoo’s moles that resemble the stars of summer triangle which are surprisingly hovering above them like glowing jewels in the sky even if it’s the peak of autumn. Surely, it’s a sign. Better things are yet to come, Daniel knows it.

“Yeah, I think it’s already late,” Daniel says, warm breaths forming a ghastly mist in the cold air. “Let’s go back to the cabin.”

“No, Niel-ah,” this time Seongwoo holds his hand. Smiling, he cups the younger’s face. Seongwoo looks absolutely beautiful bathed in the glow of the moonlight. He stands there agape. “I think it’s time we go back to where we belong. I’m pretty sure the real owner of our bodies want their lives back since we’re basically screwing the interviews.” He jokes, small tears still escaping from his eyes. Honestly, Seongwoo is going to miss the peace. Even if it was for a short while, it definitely had made him appreciate life a bit more than the usual.

“Now, you’re definitely the Seongwoo-hyung that I know,” Daniel laughs heartily. Seongwoo still has his hand intertwined with the younger’s.

If Seongwoo were to be honest, he’d probably say he’s scared to death. But now that Daniel is here, a flicker of courage keeps on burning inside his heart. Even if there are hundreds of billions of universes arranged like cages, waiting for them to get lost in its mazes, fate will still lead them to each other’s embrace.

Seongwoo realizes that he has never been in control, fate was.

And that, fate, had been in Seongwoo’s favor all this time.

_For the first time in 400 days, Seongwoo drifts back with a smile on his face._

_He’s not alone this time._

 

xv. epilogue

“Have you located the package?” A man with a smaller frame asks, hands deftly grasping the sniper aimed at one of the border guards in the quarantine area.

“Not yet,” another man says in a heavily accented tone. “I need a few more minutes to do a perimeter scan. But, I’m pretty sure the package will appear–” a few more clicks are heard and then a holographic screen pops out in front of the gunman. “–Sector 45, Quadrant 3.”

“Got it. Thanks, Woojin.”

“Back at ‘ya, Jihoon-ah.”

Infiltrating the borderlines have always been such a breeze and gotten far easier when the explosion happened roughly a year and a half ago. It made Seoul weaker and was a huge blow to their inhumane science project that they’ve been painfully trying to perfect for the past decade.

It had been two decades since the split happened. When the North decided to attack the South, it made Seoul its extended puppet capital and the people had to forcefully deal with the new reality - their liberty and rights stripped off of them by a puppet state. Luckily, a few handful defected to the far South, and Busan had drew another line to prevent the growing state in infiltrating their own territory. Thus, the Borderlines had come into fruition.

Jihoon and Woojin were one of Busan’s assets near the Borderlines. The two spies were tasked to recover the package, two drifters that were of high value. They don’t know who they were since all of the identities were still shrouded by mystery but what they do know are the exact coordinates as to where the two are likely to appear.

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

Time freezes for a split-second, and the two men suddenly materializes out of thin air. Daniel and Seongwoo have safely returned to their own universe, the smell of rust and rotten flesh greets them the moment they arrive. It was unbearable but they didn’t have time to complain, they needed to get out of the place real fast without the guards noticing their presence.

“Freeze!” However the stealthy escape inadvertently fails as a border guard spots them from behind, his gun immediately aimed at their direction as some sort of a warning.

Seongwoo and Daniel run for their lives and swiftly hides behind one of the containers stacked in the hangar. “I’m scared, Niel-ah,” Seongwoo whispers with a shiver in his mouth.

“We’ll be okay, Seongwoo-hyung. Trust me,” Daniel reassures him, his limbs enveloping the elder to shield him when the bullets come flying into their direction.

Unfortunately, the border guards discover their location. Armed with heavy firearms, three men marched forward to their direction with Daniel making himself as Seongwoo’s human shield. “It’s over for the both of you, rats,” the man snides as he pulls the trigger.

Time seems to flow slowly as the first bullet flies in Daniel’s direction. He was ready to die then and there but something surprising happens. The bullets ricochet mid-air and hits the soldier’s spleen, earning a blood-curdling yelp from the said man.

Two sets of gunshots followed afterwards, with the two of his buddies down, all of them with bullet holes in their heads. Daniel looks at Seongwoo behind him who was pleading a minute before the incident happened; the man’s eyes were now glowing, a bluish hue had dampened the elder’s raven irises. His hand was extended as if to stop the bullet and it’s also as if he was a trance-like state that he had froze in sight. Then, he suddenly loses consciousness. And thank the heavens for giving Daniel fast reflexes to catch the elder immediately or else he would’ve hit his head on the pavement.

A shorter man emerges behind the metal frame, his fiery red hair strewn against blowing wind. “Sorry if I was late.”

“Who are you?” Asks Daniel, a bit hesitant and weary since they practically almost died back out there.

“I’m Jihoon,” the man says, “Busan wanted us to pick you up.”

Jihoon escorts them out of the Borderlines safely just like what he had said. Currently, they’re on a high speed maglev train going to Busan with Seongwoo still unconscious. “Is he going to be okay?” Woojin (Daniel discovered earlier that he was Jihoon’s partner) points at Seongwoo with a worrying expression in his eyes.

“Beats me,” Daniel dismisses. “This is first time I’ve seen Seongwoo-hyung like this.”

When Daniel attempts to relax on the cushioned seat, a loud ping emerges out of Woojin’s phone. “A call from the president himself. Oh my god, what do we do?” He looks at Jihoon who just shrugs at him. He doesn’t have a choice but to answer the call or else both of them will be dead meat by sunrise.

“Woojin-ie, how’re ya!” A gleeful voice emerges out in the other line. “I’m d-doing... f-fine, Mr. President.”

“Do you have the package?”

“Yes, we have successfully retrieved the package, sir.”

“Good work, now let me talk to them.”

Woojin gives the phone to Daniel and the man looks at him with a bewildered expression. What was he supposed to do, anyways? It’s not that he dislikes talking but he’s just not in the mood for–

“Jisung-hyung?!”

The president, Jisung, laughs at the younger’s contorted expression. What in the world is happening? Out of all people, Jisung had to be the _actual_ president of Busan. Not that Daniel is against with the idea, he had previously thought the older had perished way before the explosion in Seoul happened, when the North were busy purging the nearby towns, horrendously burning houses and bombing buildings. The whole sight still haunts Daniel up to this day.

However, this time, Jisung is proudly standing behind a seal of the old _Taegukgi_ with a proud smile in his face.

“Daniel, do you want to fight back along with us?” He asks with an intimidating tone.

“Is that even a question, hyung?” Daniel laughs and stands up from his seat. “Of course, I’m going to war with you.”

“This isn’t war, Daniel. This is a revolution.”

Jihoon approaches the man and extends his hands, signalling for a handshake, “Welcome to **Project Lux et Veritas** , Daniel-ssi.”

The revolution has officially begun.

**Author's Note:**

> oh my freaking lord, i finally finished this one /cries/. i know this was a mess but you know the epilogue might be another start of a whole new story *winks*. honestly, thank you for reading this and i really appreciate everyone's comments! >w<


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